Before we went to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, I read that Grace Bay repeatedly gets voted the best beach in the world by various travel sites. I’ve been to a lot of beaches, so I was ready to put this to the test. I was also interested to see if the Grace Bay Club met my expectations. We considered several hotels when planning our February getaway to T&C. The deciding factors for me were that the photos of the Grace Bay Club did not show that tight gaggle of lounge chairs you so often see on Caribbean beaches and the hotel had an adults only pool that is heated. I love to spend time at the beach and in the pool and I want to do so without 400 other people. The hotel’s location also was perfect, right in the heart of Grace Bay and close to restaurants and shops. Another important consideration was the hotel’s reassurance that they had gluten free toast for breakfast. We chose an oceanfront room with a balcony.

Getting Started

Our arrival at the Grace Bay Club was low key. The entrance to the hotel is unassuming. We entered reception and had an awkward greeting where I was directed to sit in a chair in front of the desk while my husband was left standing. We were both offered refreshments and enjoyed the fruit punch, as well as a cool cloth. The check in procedure felt a little weird as the woman assisting us kept coming around the desk and handing us things. My husband was signing things on the corner of the desk. It was just a bit strange.

We were then told we would meet our personal concierge who would show us around the property and to our room. The Grace Bay Club needs to do a much better job with their web site because there was absolutely no mention of a personal concierge on the site or when we called with questions about the accommodations. A personal concierge is not something I wanted as an amenity but it seemed like it could be useful.

Our personal concierge came and took us on a walk through the property which was nice, although she shared so much information at such a rapid speed that it was nearly impossible to follow it all.

The Room

Our room was lovely with a king bed, desk, chairs, and a huge unit that contained the TV, mini fridge, drawers, and hanging space. The balcony had chairs and a table. The view was oceanfront, but the ocean was just past one of the restaurants, so it was not a perfect view.  The bathroom had a separate shower and soaking tub and bi-fold shutters opened onto the bedroom over the tub. This was actually nice since it opened up the bathroom and allowed natural light in.  Our room had a fruit plate (lovely), bottles of water which were replenished each day (also nice), and a bottle of champagne (useless since we don’t drink).

The Resort

The grounds of the hotel are lovely and green, with winding paths throughout. We had access to two pools. One was for everyone and contained a swim-up bar. The other was adults only with an infinity edge and a clear glass side. There was a third pool we did not have access to – the type of room you have controls your access to the different pools, so we paid a bit more for a room that included the adult only pool. The pools are staffed with gentlemen who will place a towel-like cover on the lounger for you and provide you with towels and water, and also take orders for drinks or food. There is a spa (which we did not visit), a business center (which we did use when our flight home was cancelled due to weather and we had to scramble to get another flight). The hotel also has bikes you can borrow at no charge. This is a nice amenity since you could easily bike to most stores and restaurants in the area, while they might be a bit of a hike if you walked. On the beach there are kayaks, stand up paddle boards, and hobie cats for use for guests. We tried the paddle board and the kayaks and had a great time.

It’s also good to note that if you plan to take any boat excursions (for parasailing, snorkeling, or just a tour), the Grace Bay Club is one of the three spots on the entire beach where people can be picked up. There are ropes in the water designating the swimming area all along the beach and one of the few openings where boats can pull up to the beach is right in front of the hotel.

The Beach

The beach was perfect in every way. The sand is soft and there are almost no shells. The water is that magical turquoise color so ubiquitous in the Caribbean. The water is warm and completely clear. Most days there was just a gentle breeze which kept things from getting too hot but was not enough to disturb you. You can walk long distances in either direction. I can see why the beach is rated so high because it was nearly perfect. The sand fleas were the biggest problem and we soon found we were covered in bites on our lower calves. In general we found the beach not to be crowded but we were there in early February before high season truly kicked in.

There is a shelf to put your shoes on just before the steps to the beach and there are foot showers there as well. The property has a lot of ocean frontage, so the chairs are nicely spread out. They are arranged so that there is an umbrella, two loungers, a table, and two low beach chairs at each spot. Some of the loungers have cushions but you have to get there early to get one. The same gentlemen who work at the pools will assist you on the beach and will set you up with chair liners and towels. Each sitting area has a red flag. If you need something, you stand the flag up in the sand.  While it was clear that many of the elderly hotel patrons enjoyed interacting with the beach and pool workers (who often sat and chatted with them), we go on vacation to be left alone. And the biggest problem with this system is there are only one or two guys working at a time so if you need anything, they are likely busy with someone else. We ended up just grabbing our own linens and setting ourselves up each day, instead of standing around and waiting for ten minutes each time. We learned to just bring our own bottled water from the room because it was about a 20 minute wait to get some. It also became clear that those patrons who brought cash to the beach and tipped these guys each time got great service. We didn’t and so were not in favor.

Dining

The property has several restaurants, including one right on the beach where all the food is served on skewers. The hotel’s bar has the longest beach front bar in the Caribbean. There was a nice fire pit area near the bar where people congregated at night and although our room was near the bar, we didn’t hear loud music at night. The main restaurant serves Italian food and we go to the Caribbean to eat fish, so we did not partake, but it is generally rated highly. There was a beach buffet one evening that was characterized as Caribbean food. We skipped this as well given questions about what was gluten free and because I just don’t want to eat buffet food.

Breakfast was included each morning at an outdoor restaurant next to a pool, facing the beach. The view is lovely from here. Breakfast was a buffet but eggs could be ordered. We found our servers were generally on island time, not interested in taking our egg orders in a timely way and giving us a little attitude when we asked for service. The food was fine with fruit, cheese, pastries, juice, yogurt, cereal, meat, vegetables, and some hot dishes including bacon, sausage, grits, fish and other items. The first morning there was gluten

free bread (as promised). The second morning there was none (when we asked we were told they didn’t have that). The third morning we had to ask for it and the fourth morning it was left out on the buffet. Not exactly consistent or what we were promised.

Afternoon tea was also included (and this was not something mentioned on the web site or in our conversations with staff on the phone). We were told they would have gluten free items there. More on that in a minute. The tea was a self-serve affair at the breakfast buffet area with coffee and tea and a few plates of cookies and crustless sandwiches. Not many people seemed to be partaking in it.

Services

Our private concierge Tranay gave us a very strange little inexpensive cell phone we were supposed to use to contact her if we needed anything. This sounded great – immediate access. She offered to make dinner reservations. We called her soon after checking in with a dinner reservation request. She told us the place we wanted was not “the best of the best” and wanted us to dine at the hotel instead. I knew I wanted to go there (and it was a lovely meal) so we insisted ( couldn’t help but feel she was got a kick back if we ate at the hotel). Things went downhill with her from there.  She told us afternoon tea would have gluten free options. We stopped in the first day and they did not. We mentioned this to her and to her credit she made sure they did have options moving forward, however she called us the next day and pressured us and basically told us we “had” to go since she made sure they had options for us. When we said we weren’t sure we would go, she insisted on bringing a plate of food up to our room. When there was no gluten free bread the second day at breakfast we let her know and she took care of it, but it took many phone calls with her.

She was not able to get us a dinner reservation at a popular restaurant and she called us three or four times a day on that little cell phone for various reasons – often just to check in (it seemed to me the concierges must be mandated to make contact with each guest each day). We left it in the room since we had no need to be constant contact with her. One day she told us that when we didn’t answer she went looking for us at the pool and the beach (we were not on the property at the time) which felt over the top. We found her to be pushy and aggressive. I went on vacation to get away from constant phone calls and people who want things from me.  It seemed that she was trying NOT to be a laid back island person, but she went too far in the other direction and became an annoyance. That being said, if you are a person who wants to have someone managing your vacation for you – telling you where and when to eat and scheduling activities for you, this might be a good situation. We were looking for rest and relaxation and not complicated interactions with people on our trip.

My final beef is she told us to leave for the airport four before our flight. The airport is about half an hour away and we needed to drop off the rental car and ride a shuttle to the airport. It is my experience that Caribbean airports often have ridiculously long lines (for no good reason), however there were no lines at all at this airport and we ended up sitting at the airport for three hours before our flight. I would expect a concierge to have a handle on what the wait times are like.

We encountered a few problems with other services.

Housekeeping left dirty dishes in our room several times. We requested a bucket of ice from room service be delivered at a specific time and it arrived half an hour later than we asked (island time apparently). I understand that having an ice machine down the hall is tacky, but I would so much rather buzz down the hall to get some ice myself than have to make phone calls and wait for people who don’t show up.

Despite my picky grievances (which mostly have to do with the service), this is a lovely, wonderful property on a magnificent beach. The facility itself is completely top notch – it was the staff that caused some bumps in the road for us. I would highly recommend a stay here simply because it was so gorgeous and perfect.

 

Before we went to Providenciales in Turks and Caicos, I read that Grace Bay repeatedly gets voted the best beach in the world by various travel sites. I’ve been to a lot of beaches, so I was ready to put this to the test. I was also interested to see if the Grace Bay Club … Read more →

Lunenburg is a lovely little town on the Nova Scotia coast and is convenient to Mahone Bay and Peggy’s Cove, as well as being not far from Halifax, making it a great location. You can also drive a few hours and get to the Bay of Fundy or out to Digby. I had a lot of difficulty finding available lodging in Nova Scotia for the September week we visited. I soon learned that’s because the place is overrun with tour groups all fall. Many of those buses deposited people overnight in Lunenburg, making it tricky to find a room. I found success with the Smuggler’s Cove Inn though.

I didn’t have high hopes for this inn based on their website. Although the rooms themselves looked comfortable, one of their main photos is of a view of other buildings which did make me worried since they had no other photos showing a view (note to the inn: change that photo). The room I reserved was with an ocean view, so I was hopeful. Our rate was $199 per night, Canadian (a bargain with the exchange rate).

The Inn itself does not look inviting from the outside. It’s in a large corner building that is lacking in character (and in UNESCO World Heritage Site Lunenburg, this is unusual). The lobby is on the main floor, sandwiched between a restaurant and a shop. The rooms are all on the upper floors. There are stairs and an elevator.

I was pleased with our room. The bed and furnishings were attractive and comfortable. We did have a view of the harbor, slightly obstructed with some buildings, but it was enough to make me happy. The room had a mini fridge, coffee maker, and a window-style air conditioner built into the wall (and we did need it even though it was September). The bathroom was very small (toilet, corner shower, and pedestal sink), but bright and clean. Overall I would rate the room as quite comfortable but not luxurious. However, I’ll call them out for the ugly poster that was on the wall in our room. It didn’t fit the style and character of the room or the inn and it was just ugly and out of place.

The best part of the inn is its location. You can easily walk to the harbor, to the shops and restaurants, or to the historic area. The town is quite small and walkable and the inn is positioned well to take advantage of it. The inn does have parking kitty-corner across the street as well as an unloading spot in front of the lobby. Parking can be tricky in town, so this is an important feature.

I found the inn a bit lacking in a few other ways. There is no breakfast included, although we were given one day’s worth of coupons for $3 off our breakfasts at the restaurant next door. Fortunately, several of the restaurants in town offer breakfast, so we were able to fuel up easily each morning. While the inn has an elevator, on our floor there were a couple sets of small stairs in a few places where we had to haul our luggage up and down to get to our room. Our room opened off of a living room area with chairs and a couch. Unfortunately, the day we arrived it had been co-opted by a large group of rowdy guests who had made it into their person cocktail party area. They were loud and messy. Although they left for dinner, they were also loud when they returned at night. There was a wide swath under our door that let in noise and light from this common area. After the first night, I stuffed pillows in front of the door to stop the light from shining into our room and to try to stop any noise from bothering us. We also had some trouble with noise outside on the street. One night we slept with windows open and were awakened several times by shouting, music, sirens, or cars starting up. With the air conditioner on, we didn’t notice the outside noise.

The front desk was closed when we checked out at 8 am in the morning, so we had to just leave our key on the desk and head out on our merry way. If you’re looking for accommodations in the area, the Smuggler’s Cove Inn is an affordable and comfortable solution.

Lunenburg is a lovely little town on the Nova Scotia coast and is convenient to Mahone Bay and Peggy’s Cove, as well as being not far from Halifax, making it a great location. You can also drive a few hours and get to the Bay of Fundy or out to Digby. I had a lot … Read more →

On our recent trip to Asia we stayed exclusively at Ritz Carlton properties, which provided an excellent point of comparison between them. Kyoto was my favorite.

One brief note about the Ritz hotels in general before I share details about the Kyoto property. We were traveling as a party of three (myself, my husband, and our 23 year old daughter). It is nearly impossible to find hotel rooms in Asia that can accommodate three people, unless you get a roll away cot. We find roll aways to be very uncomfortable for adults, so did not want this option. Most hotels in Asia and Japan have rooms with a king size bed or two twins. The Ritz is the only hotel we found that had double beds, allowing us to fit three people in the rooms. The only alternative was to pay for two rooms and most hotels could not guarantee the rooms would connect or even be on the same floor. It ended up being less expensive to book one room at the Ritz than two rooms at a lesser chain. I’m still stunned that this was the case, but it was. We also found that the level of service and the amenities that came with the hotel provided great value to us.

Another note is that we had great difficulty actually getting our reservations made correctly. We booked directly through the Ritz booking line and were quoted rates for three people in the room with breakfast included. We wrote down the rates we were given. The calls were being recorded. We then received email confirmations that listed higher rates, with additional fees for the third person and not including breakfast for all three of us. Emails to the individual hotel properties did not resolve the issue. My tweet to Ritz went unanswered. We escalated the issue to Ritz corporate headquarters where we were assured the problem would easily and quickly be resolved. It took more than a month to get all three of our reservation corrected. The corporate person who was initially so anxious to help us became unreachable and it took many emails and voicemails to get all the reservations corrected. The good news is everything was eventually corrected. The bad news is it took so long and so much effort on our part to accomplish this.

The Setting

The Kyoto Ritz Carlton hotel is located next to the Kamogawa River and is on a side street, near a busy shopping area. It is centrally located with most areas of interest a short drive away. You don’t even notice the hotel is there as you walk past since the entrance is through a garage. It has a very discrete feeling to it. Once you’re dropped off at the bellman’s desk inside the garage, you walk under a pergola across a bubbling

man-made stream with waterfalls to the unassuming door of the hotel. It’s worth stopping out here for a moment though to enjoy

this serene and truly Japanese garden. It provides a soothing moment of calm before entering the hotel. One of the greeters who is always present at the bell area wears a traditional kimono, which is a nice touch.

The Common Areas

The lobby is broken up into areas. When you first enter, you walk directly by the concierge desk and a small seating area. Walk though a large wooden automatic door and you enter the main lobby with seating areas, a macaron counter, a lounge, and eventually the main desk. The lobby is unassuming but quietly elegant. There are jars of Japanese candy in the corner of a sitting area if you need something sweet.

Elevators lead to the upper floors. The hallways are very Japanese with panels and hidden closets. The hallways feel quiet and private.

Our Room

We entered our room to find it segmented into three areas: a hallway, bathroom, and main bedroom. The hallway ran next to the bathroom but there was curiously no door between the two areas at the bathroom opening right by the front door. The hallway consisted of a bar area, mini fridge, mirror and some shallow storage. It was nice to have this separate area for storage and it made the room

feel larger to have a separate little space.

The main bedroom area was spacious compared to the other Ritz properties we stayed at. There were two double beds as well as a day bed with a twin size mattress. The beds were of course wonderfully comfortable. The nightstands next to the beds had buttons that controlled the lighting and draperies in the room, which is very convenient. The day bed had a small table next to it. A seating area contained two chairs and a table, as well as a storage unit. A plate of grapes greeted us. A glass door led to the patio which faced the river. Two chairs and a table beckoned us to sit and relax. We could not actually see the river due to the trees, but we could hear it and the sound of it enchanted me. I left the door open to be able to hear it (more on this in a minute!).

The bathroom was similarly spacious. A double sink vanity with mirror and TV took up one wall. On the counter was a large black lacquer box containing toiletries. There was not a lot of counter space, however. The tub and shower were in a glass enclosed room (which meant there was no way for two people to be

in the bathroom at the same time if privacy was required) with the shower area simply comprising all of the space next to the tub. It had a wooded slat floor. The tub was deep for soaking. The Western style toilet with requisite Japanese toilet seat was in a small room, next to a closet.

We found the room to be extremely comfortable. However, because I had left the door to the patio open, soon the room began to smell like dead fish. We quickly closed the door but the room continued to smell this way for our entire stay. It was distracting and did in part ruin the experience. We did not

complain to the staff because I felt I had caused the problem by leaving the door open for an hour or so and because I really thought the smell would dissipate once the door was closed. Instead it simply reeked for our entire three-night stay. If the housekeeping staff noticed, they did nothing.

Staffing

The staff at the hotel was excellent. They view themselves as a small high-service hotel, and it shows. I contacted guest services

before we left home to get assistance with restaurant recommendations and to arrange transportation. They responded to emails swiftly and with courtesy. We arrived extremely early for check-in and after a brief wait, our room was ready. We were invited to sit on couches during check in while the woman assisting us knelt on the floor at the coffee table. This felt a little odd to us Westerners but we understood the courtesy of the gesture.

We asked to have a bucket of ice brought to the room each evening and that request was handled without an issue. The concierge staff arranged for a car and driver for a day for us, made restaurant reservations, and provided directions to shopping areas. The concierge staff spoke excellent English and were all very accommodating, if a bit perplexed at our reluctance to dine at extremely high-priced restaurants.

All of the Ritz properties have greeters, but we found those at this property to be the most low-key (but still a bit aggressively friendly). Because the lobby is set up around a staircase going down to the restaurant, there are two paths to the elevators, one of which goes by the main desk and one which does not. We sometimes prefer to just be left alone, so we walked on the side away from the desk when we didn’t feel like answering questions about our day.

We found the bell desk to be very helpful in arranging for transportation to and from the train station and providing taxis when necessary. Whenever the hotel arranged transportation for us with a prior reservation (such as reserving a van to take us to the train, not when we just walked up and asked for a taxi), they always stocked the car or van with bottled water for us which was a nice touch. When they called a taxi for us they always communicated with the driver to explain where to take us, since there was usually a language barrier.

When staying in a country like Japan where the language barrier can be great, it was a great comfort to stay someplace where the staff willingly made all the arrangements we needed, including informing restaurants we needed only gluten-free choices.

 

Activities

One of the lovely features of this hotel is that they offer a variety of free activities and classes, such as origami, flower arranging, or use of bicycles. The bath products were high quality and the bathroom was even stocked with a hair brush, combs, nail files, and more. Our supply of bottled water was always replenished in the room.

Dining

We enjoyed breakfast in the hotel each morning. Entering the dining room we were subjected to an assembly line greeting from every staff member. Again, the Ritz

errs on the side of over-friendliness which can sometimes feel stifling. The dining room is very comfortable with several secluded nooks, offering much privacy. However it was very dark and was not exactly the place to wake up to your day.  The breakfast buffet is scattered throughout the room with several stations – one so well-hidden we didn’t discover it until the second morning. Eggs are prepared in the kitchen to order. Fruit, meats, traditional Japanese breakfast items, cereals, breads, juices, and hot prepared items make up the buffet. The most notable fact for us is that there was a separate gluten-free station set up at the bar with bread, a dedicated toaster, and cereal. We did inquire in advance if gluten-free bread was available, so I’m not sure if this is a standard feature, or created just for us. T We had some difficulties communicating with the

wait staff. My husband asked for a glass of ice each morning (to pour his juice over) and some mornings he got it and other mornings he got ice water. Eggs were not always cooked precisely to specifications, but were close enough that we were able to eat them. We all ordered tea one morning but only two of us got it.

Overall, we were extremely pleased with the hotel and any criticism I have is merely nit-picking (except for the smell in the room, which we should have complained about). The level of service and concern for guests here is sky high. The hotel feels quiet, comfortable, private, and personal. I highly recommend it if you will be visiting Kyoto.

 

 

On our recent trip to Asia we stayed exclusively at Ritz Carlton properties, which provided an excellent point of comparison between them. Kyoto was my favorite. One brief note about the Ritz hotels in general before I share details about the Kyoto property. We were traveling as a party of three (myself, my husband, and … Read more →

We’ve always stayed at big resorts when visiting the Caribbean. When planning our trip to St. Lucia, I wasn’t satisfied with the options. The nicer resorts are to the south, near the Pitons, but far away from a lot of the restaurants and attractions up north. Many

of the resorts on this island do not have rooms close to the beach at all (at Sugar Bay you have to ride a cart to get down there. Hotel Chocolat isn’t even a waterfront property, nor is Jade Mountain: both take you to the beach by shuttle). We ended up choosing to stay at Villa Beach Cottages, on Choc Bay. It looked too good to be true from the photos on their web site, but I was pleased in general.

Location

Location is everything and this mini-resort lived up to its photos. It’s located on the main road between Rodney Bay and Castries. I was a little nervous when I realized our hotel was on this busy four-lane highway. The driveway was hard to find: we missed it once and had to circle back. Once you find it, you pull in and suddenly you are in a quiet retreat. You don’t know the road is there at all (and I still can’t believe this, but it was true). The parking lot is small and right next to the two story villas. The villas are simply charming, done in a Victorian gingerbread style. They’re pastel colored and landscaped with lush vegetation and flowers. The grounds are small, but incredibly well-kept.

The villas all look out over the wooden deck and pool area to the beach below and it is a stunning view. The ocean is just outside your window and if your window is open, you can hear the waves (which is a dream come true for me). Choc Bay is a lovely long beach. To the right is simply open beach with undeveloped land. A small restaurant is directly next door but

beyond that is just vacant land. Locals use some of it as a park, with a volleyball net set up. To the left is another empty lot where there was some weed smoking and partying happening at night. Beyond that is the Sandals resort. The beach is incredibly soft sand with warm, calm water. We took lots of long, relaxing walks on the beach.

Castries is about a 5 minute drive to the south and Rodney Bay is about a 10 minute drive north. There is a grocery store almost across the street, with a much nicer one in Rodney Bay. There were lots of great restaurants in the area. We did take a day trip down to the Pitons and it really is an entire day to get there, do some things, and get back. There is no direct and easy way to get there, with narrow, steep, winding roads through the hills. You do need to select one area of the island and just stay there because you can’t simply pop

down south for dinner one night.

 

Our Room

We were traveling with our adult daughter and were pleased to rent a unit with two bedrooms, two baths, and a kitchen

and living area. We generally stay in full service hotels in the Caribbean and have never had a self-catering situation but we found it quite handy. We made our own breakfasts and lunches which made hanging around and enjoying the beach easy. We stayed on the second floor. All the units face the water and all have a balcony that looks out to the beach. The second floor was definitely the best choice here because you could see the beach. First floor units open up to the pool area and you

have people walking past you as you sit on your porch.

The bedrooms were comfortable. The master bedroom opens to the balcony and the beach and we left our window open at night to hear those waves. I do wish the French doors to the balcony had drapes or blinds you could open. They didn’t move and they only way to see the view was to open the doors, and then the air conditioning was overpowered. The bathrooms were large with no counter space. The towels were a bit

threadbare. The other bedroom felt a bit dark because it faced the parking lot and was in the shade of a giant banyan tree.

The kitchen and dining area was fine. We could have used a few more eating utensils – 4 of each kind was a bit skimpy. But the kitchen had sufficient plates and pans to cook. The dining table was large and beautiful. The sitting area left something to be desired. An old couch and chair that had been recovered were uncomfortable and musty. The living area was dark and had no air conditioning (each bedroom had its own wall unit). We spent almost no time in here though. We ate all our meals on the balcony and used this room only for cooking.

Before we arrived, I inquired about having some basic food supplies placed in the unit before our arrival, since the web site said this was an option. I merely asked what was offered, and the cost. I never said I wanted it. When we arrived, the food was in our refrigerator. We ended up using it and it was fine, but I would have been displeased to be charged for this if I had not asked for and did not use it.

The balcony had a table and four chairs, as well as two loungers. There were some birds making a nest in a nearby light fixture so we enjoyed watching them, but had to shoo them away from our food.

Our building was a quad – there were four units (2 up and 2 down), so there was another family right next to us, and we could hear them when on the balcony. The balcony has a screen though so there is some privacy. On our other side was a walkway that separated us from another building.

We had wifi but it was spotty and the connection was pretty slow. We never actually turned the TV on so I’m not sure what channels were available.

The Facilities

The resort has two small pools. One is small and one is just about the size of a bathtub. The outside common area is quite small, but

there was a hammock, lounge chairs, and two gazebos. We visited in April, which is a shoulder season, so the resort was practically empty. There were at most 3-4 other families there. This resort has 20 units. If all the units were full, it would be quite crowded in this area and I don’t think there would be enough

lounge chairs (they may have had extras in storage though).

This is a perfect place for families with small children, because the area is small and enclosed – there are even gates on the stairs to the beach. You could let your kids run, and if you had a first floor villa, you could sit on your porch and just watch them. The smaller pool is perfect for small kids. And staying in a unit with a kitchen is an absolute must when you have small children, so this would be perfect.

We swam in the larger pool which was fine with just us, but once anyone else got in, it was crowded. If kids were splashing, it was unusable. There was a hot tub, but there seemed to be some confusion about it. There were no visible controls to turn it on. Twice we tried to use it and asked for help. The controls

are under the deck below it. The first time it was turned on for us. The second time we were told it would go on in 15 minutes, but it never did.

Lounge chairs can be taken down the steps to the beach and we spent a lot of time enjoying the empty beach. We were approached only once by someone trying to sell us something, but there was also a guy who regularly walked up and down the beach carrying a glass jar of pot, clearly available for purchase.

Massages are available by reservation in the gazebos, but I wouldn’t recommend it since we had a complete view of them from our balcony and there is little privacy.

The resort has no restaurant or bar, but they can arrange for a private chef to cook for you. I cannot go to the Caribbean without having a virgin strawberry daiquiri on the beach, but fortunately there was a blender in our kitchen and I was able to make my own.

The Staff

The staff was minimally friendly upon our arrival. Our room was still being cleaned when we got there. We were shown to our room, then told that the manager wanted to personally welcome us the next day and that we needed to schedule a time to do this. I was not about to schedule a meeting on my first day of vacation, so we just ignored this. We were then hunted down the next day and asked to come meet him. He was busy then though and we were told they would call us

to come over when he was available. Again, this is not exactly my idea of a relaxing vacation. It almost seemed like there

was going to be a sales pitch. Finally my husband went and met him and he just wanted to give us a map and talk about where to go and what to see and where to eat. This would have been great information to get when we arrived, but not really something we wanted to take half an hour for in our first day on the island. It would be so much more useful to write all of this down and give guests a brochure rather than spouting it all out and hoping they remember it.

Our room was cleaned the first day of our stay but never again and no one asked us if we wanted housekeeping services. Towels were never replaced. There is a small convenience store on the property, but a sign says you must ask the front desk to open it, so we never bothered. I can’t imagine anyone does. The property has two security guards on duty all night. One stays in the parking lot and one mostly hangs out in a gazebo, but regularly walks the property. It felt very secure.

Overall we were very pleased with this resort, but I think it would be a very different experience in high season if every unit was occupied. The beach and pool areas

would be very, very crowded and I don’t think they would have enough parking. I loved its location directly on the beach and we enjoyed having a large two bedroom unit with a kitchen. I highly recommend it but caution about what it could be like in high season.

We’ve always stayed at big resorts when visiting the Caribbean. When planning our trip to St. Lucia, I wasn’t satisfied with the options. The nicer resorts are to the south, near the Pitons, but far away from a lot of the restaurants and attractions up north. Many of the resorts on this island do not … Read more →

I’m a little stunned to return from our stay at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda and discover there is no daily free breakfast, afternoon tea, appetizer, and dessert being set out for me at home. There’s no private concierge down the hall. No heated outdoor pool and restaurant on the water just down the hill. No one is turning down my bed for

me. Just a few days of special treatment on the Gold private concierge floor and I’m completely spoiled.

Choosing the Fairmont

We went to Bermuda for our 25th anniversary. We debated several hotels, but ultimately chose the Fairmont Southampton because of its location and amenities and it’s ability to cater to our dietary needs. The hotel is situated on a hill between the ocean and the harbor on a fairly narrow strip of land. You can see the gorgeous pink building from far out on the water.  The hotel was built in the 70s, but the lobby has an old world English feel to it with lots of dark wood, Oriental rugs, huge staircases, and a sense of history. The interior is extremely spacious with lots of nooks and crannies for sitting. There is a variety of shops on two different levels (and these were very well-stocked shops, with clothing, jewelry, and high quality gifts and art).

Gold Concierge Floor

Since our airfare was free using Jetblue points, we splurged on our hotel room. June is a busy season in Bermuda (lots and lots of weddings, including a very large Indian wedding the first night we were there and several brides spotted throughout our stay) so the only room available at the Fairmont Southampton was on the Gold floor.  The Gold floor offers a private concierge on the floor and some wonderful amenities.  Bottled water was replenished in our room daily and we had twice daily maid service.

Also included was an amazing hospitality center. There was a stocked bar that is self-serve. Non-alcoholic drinks were free. Alcohol was on the honor system, with little receipts to fill out if you helped yourself. Snacks were available all day (nuts and dried fruit).  A free continental breakfast was also provided free. This included beverages, pastries and two hot items (we did not

partake and instead chose to splurge on the full buffet breakfast downstairs).  The hospitality center offered afternoon tea with sandwiches and pastries and sweets each afternoon. Then an early evening appetizer selection was offered with one plated hors d’oeuvre and cheeses, fruits, vegetables, dip, and chips. And just because you would want to really get your money’s worth, dessert was provided mid-evening as well.

Both my husband and myself are gluten intolerant and

one of the reasons we chose the Fairmont was because they have a lifestyle cuisine program, ensuring that guests with any type of diet can be catered to. We explained our dietary needs when making the reservation. When we checked in, the concierge noted it and said that at every food service in the hospitality center, there would be gluten free offerings for us (at no charge). And indeed there were. We had a bit of  a rocky start the first day and waited half an hour for the gluten-free selections to come up from the

main kitchen, but after that the staff knew us and always had gluten-free selections kept just for us in their little behind the scenes kitchen. It was quite impressive  – they even had gluten-free scones.

The Room

Our room was beautiful and comfortable, with a king-size bed, sitting area, desk, bar, flat screen tv, double sinks, walk in closet, and an amazing balcony with a table and chairs that allowed us to soak up the view

from the 6th floor. Truly stunning and luxurious. The shower and toilet area felt a little dated and cramped. They could definitely do with some renovations there. Something other than a small standard hotel tub with shower curtain would be welcome. A walk-in shower with glass doors (or at least something that was not cramped and dark) would really complete the picture of luxury. We explored all of the hotel during our stay (and there is a lot to see!).  Although the hotel is not directly on the water (no crashing waves outside your window), it does have a lovely ocean view (or a harbor view from the other side). There are also a few rooms that have a mostly land view that includes the lighthouse.

Location Is Everything

Because of its location, you can go to the beach or the harbor by hopping on a hotel-run shuttle. I was a bit leery about having to ride a shuttle to the beach. It’s not far at all (maybe a 4 minute ride at most) but the hill is very steep and the road has switchbacks, so walking would be arduous and dangerous. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a shuttle. The shuttles are comfortable and air conditioned. Actually, I found I rather liked the door-to-door service of a shuttle – none of this hauling your beach bag down stairs and paths to get to the beach. The shuttle takes you directly there.

The Beach

The

private beach has many lounge chairs, even some with built-in canopies. There is a beach bar/snack bar (where apparently straws are not available – this made my traditional virgin strawberry daiquiri a little hard to consume) and a restaurant (the Ocean Club) at the beach. Towels are given out in stacks – no negotiating to get just one more as I’ve experienced at other resorts. You are given at least two per person and no one is scrutinizing how many you have and how many you return. The private beach was somewhat well-maintained. There were the usual issues with people claiming chairs for the day by leaving a single towel and no one seemed able to pick up their own garbage. The chairs tended to be lined up in rows at least three or four chairs deep, which meant you couldn’t be right by the water or away from the crowds. The brilliant part about this beach though is that if you don’t want to line up on the sand like sardines in a can, there is a path to Horseshoe Bay, which is the public beach next door. It is at least 1/4 mile crescent of perfect sand with lots of space. And if you keep walking, you’ll discover one hidden

cove after another – small private beaches that are yours for the taking. We enjoyed walking to the public beach and exploring the secret beaches with the dramatic scenery. Tennis courts are also located next to the beach and there was always a court available.

The Harbor

Take the shuttle in the opposite direction from the hotel and you come down to the harbor. Here there is the hotel’s most formal restaurant, The Waterlot (a steakhouse, which had excellent, over-the-top attentive service and amazing food), an outdoor waterfront bar, and a free ferry. Several times a day the ferry that is just for hotel guests shuttles across the harbor (it’s worth it for the views alone and it’s only about a 30 minute ride) to the sister property, the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. This hotel is located on the edge of  the main city of Hamilton and it’s a short walk to shops and restaurants and the city’s main harbor. Hotel guests can use the restaurants and facilities at either property.

We took the shuttle down to the harbor one evening for dinner and I was pleased to see they had a security guard at the shuttle stop, which was a bit dark and isolated.  The guard also assists guests in crossing the road to the ferry stop or restaurant.

The Pool

If you’d like to spend some time by the pool, there is a very large outdoor heated pool just off the lobby. The pool deck was spacious and comfortable and in addition to the usual loungers, they had some cute wicker cabana chairs that were almost like a little bed. This pool closes at 6:30 each evening but guests are then welcome to use the spa pool. One night the pool closed at 5 (it needed to be cleaned we were told) so they opened the spa pool earlier and we went and enjoyed it completely alone. A few afternoons later they closed half of the outdoor pool because there was a meeting on the balcony above it. This left only the shallow end of the pool and it was filled with splashing kids. We went to the spa and explained the situation and they let us in there early again. The spa pool is indoors but has lots of windows and a waterfall. It was virtually empty each time we visited. Two outdoor hot tubs were also available here. It was tranquil and lovely.

Service

Overall we were very pleased with the service at the hotel. Of particular note is the front door staff who go out of their way to be friendly, engaging, and convivial. They were hands down the best I have ever encountered. The

doormen always spoke to us and commented on where we were going and asked how our outing was when we returned. The baggage service was also excellent – prompt and friendly. There were always taxis waiting. The food service staff at the hospitality center went out of their way to be accommodating and thoughtful to us. The wait staff at the hotel restaurants were excellent. We dined at the Ocean Club (where there were some wonderful fish selections and lovely outdoor dining overlooking the beach) and at the Waterlot, as well as having the breakfast buffet at Windows each morning (the buffet was excellent with a large selection and attentive service). Everyone understood our needs as gluten-free diners and were very helpful to us. The Waterlot even offered us a special dessert and had the staff sign a card for us when they discovered it was our anniversary. No tipping

is required with the hotel staff (and gratuities are automatically included on restaurant bills). The bellman who brought our bags walked away when he saw my husband reach into his pocket. Doormen did not expect a tip.

Problems

The criticisms I have are minuscule. When we made our reservations, the hotel suggested we pay for a private shuttle to bring us to the hotel. They said it was less expensive than a taxi (and it was). We were led to believe it was run by the hotel and they told us someone would greet us with a sign with our name on it. We emerged from the airport to see lots of signs, but none with our name. We waited. Nothing. We then called the hotel and were put on hold. Eventually we asked a gentleman at a car service stand and apparently our reservation was with them. Some better instructions would have saved us about half an hour of confusion.

The hotel brought us a fruit bowl for our anniversary. It contained two strawberries, two oranges, and an apple. I opened it to discover the strawberries were rotten and molding. As previously mentioned, we had some trouble getting the gluten-free tea the first day, but things ran smoothly there after that. One morning when we went to the buffet breakfast, when we gave our room number, the hostess became a bit snide and said “Oh, the 600 floor [the gold floor]. Nice of you to come down and eat with the little people.” We didn’t appreciate that at all (we are the little people splurging on a special occasion!). For the most part we found the private concierge staff to be accommodating, however there were one or two women who were always very busy and slightly unfriendly. One morning someone else’s bill was slipped under our door by mistake. When we checked in, we were asked which newspaper summary we would like left at our door each morning. We received it only one day. The walls were a bit thin on our room and the first night we listened to the man next door throwing up and the next night listened to his diatribe on immigration.

The problems were tiny though, and overall, this was one of the most wonderful stays we have had anywhere. I felt pampered and well-cared for at this hotel and we were comfortable and relaxed nearly the entire time. The only thing I would wish for is being closer to the ocean so I could hear it from my room. Other

than that, it was a nearly perfect stay. I would stay here again and again!

I’m a little stunned to return from our stay at the Fairmont Southampton in Bermuda and discover there is no daily free breakfast, afternoon tea, appetizer, and dessert being set out for me at home. There’s no private concierge down the hall. No heated outdoor pool and restaurant on the water just down the hill. … Read more →

A trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands seemed like just the thing to thaw my daughter and me from the polar vortex, so a girl’s getaway was in order. In researching hotels, I soon realized there weren’t a lot of options on this tiny island. The Ritz is the most expensive and the next step down was the Marriott or Sugar Bay. The Marriott seemed to fit our needs, with pools and a beach, comfortable rooms, a large breakfast buffet, and a location close to Charlotte Amalie (every other hotel is another 20-30 minutes away).

We got in our rental car and drove on the left side of the road to the hotel (my first experience driving on the left!). Although we had directions and Google maps, we pulled in at a Marriott that was not our hotel. Before you arrive at the hotel there is a Marriott time share. The sign out front does not indicate it is a time share and not the hotel, so after a confusing attempt to check in, we were directed to the Marriott hotel next door. This time we found it and  walked into the open air lobby to check in. Our room was not ready but we were told it had been cleaned and just had to be inspected. We were given a pager. I asked about parking and was told there are a few spots in front (only about 8 total truly) and then there is a parking garage up the hill. We ended up parking in the garage and hauled our luggage down a very steep hill. No one explained there is a staircase in the garage that leads to a walkway to the hotel. There are signs on one level of the garage, but we did not see any on the top level.

First Impressions

We sat on a terrace and enjoyed the ice water and free rum punch served in the lobby. However, it was hot. We were tired. After half an hour I inquired again at the desk and

was told the room had still not been inspected and that the desk clerk would call and request the inspection. 45 minutes went by and we hauled ourselves and our luggage into the lobby and conspicuously stood near the desk. Someone asked if we needed help and I explained about the room and said I could not believe it took an hour and 15 minutes to simply inspect a room and in fact I could care less if it had been inspected. I wanted to check in and if there was a problem I would call. This time we were told the room had been inspected but the system had not been updated and thus our pager did not go off.

Our Room

At last we were given our keys (only one of which worked) and directed to the room. Our room was on the first floor, which is below the main area of the hotel (the lobby is on 4 and the pool and restaurant are on 3). In fact this is actually a partial basement, carved into the cliff. Our room had a lovely walk out patio with a view of the Charlotte Amalie harbor. There were three cruise ships in port every day we were there and we had a good view of the cruise ship dock, as well as the entire harbor. The patio entrance was a regular glass door that locked with only a small lock that turned in the door knob. There was a dead bolt but a key was required. I would have been more comfortable with a room that opened to the outside if it had a deadbolt. The floors above us had balconies.

The room was comfortable with two double beds (both comfortable), an arm chair, a desk, and a dresser that contained an empty refrigerator (no mini-bar nonsense!) and a coffee maker, glasses and safe. Two of the pillows were flat and two were acceptable. The bathroom was adequate but not as nice, as updated, or as comfortable as the room – a cramped one room unit with sink, toilet and tub. We soon discovered that the room was perpetually damp. Our damp (not wet) bathing suits and cover ups never dried when hung over a chair overnight. Bathroom towels never dried. There was also no vent or fan in the bathroom. The dampness definitely made us feel as though we were in the basement. The upside of the basement was that it was very quiet. There were no people pounding through the halls, no footsteps over your head or other sounds.

We paid $649 per night for this room. I felt it was high, but that’s about what you can expect to pay in high season in the Caribbean for a hotel of this caliber. I found some of the hotel staff very helpful and others were adequate. All had clearly been carefully trained however to greet guests with a smile and a “hello, how are you?” Most tried to make small talk as well. This was friendly but it honestly got a bit tiring. Every time I needed to speak to someone I had to have a long conversation. I did appreciate talking to staff who truly tried to be friendly and welcoming.

The Beach

Our first order of business was to head to the beach. There were no signs and no indication in the guest guide in our room where the beach was. We found the pool area (two pools, both with infinity edges and a hot tub with a bar area and a kids’ sprinkler pad) but could not find the beach. Finally we asked and were directed around a corner near the towel service (no signs pointing the way). We emerged to find a “scenic elevator to the beach” as the sign said, which was out of order. We still couldn’t get to the beach. We asked again and were told there were 87 (!) stairs around the corner from the elevator. This was a bit of a surprise to us. There were indeed MANY stairs, but they were spaced out a big with longer steps. Going down wasn’t so bad. Going up was a challenge and we passed people huffing and puffing their way up.

The stairs ended at a boardwalk by some tennis courts and at last – the beach. It was a lovely private beach, accessible only to guests of the Marriott and Marriott Morningstar resort next door. Chairs and umbrellas were free, but the umbrellas were hard to come by. Behind the beach was another pool. We never did determine where you could get towels down there (we were told you could) but I immediately located the bar for my daily virgin strawberry daiquiris. The water was warm, but the waves are strong with an undertow. It gets deep very quickly. This area is called Frenchman’s Reef because there is a reef out there – and we could see waves breaking on it. There is also an island out

from the shore and plenty of boat traffic. At the end of the day you can see the cruise ships coming around the point from Charlotte Amalie.  The sand was soft but HOT! The beach is long enough that you don’t feel crowded, unless you want to sit under an umbrella. A nice touch is a hose at the base of the steps to the bar to rinse your feet. There is a breeze at the beach (this is the windward side of the island) but it was just enough to keep us from getting too hot without disturbing us.

The hotel offers a shuttle to the Morningstar Resort if you can’t do the stairs down to the beach. We took this shuttle to dinner one evening and it was literally a 2 minute ride and the shuttle is

always looping around, so it is possible to access the beach without the stairs.

The Pools

We tried out all of the pools and enjoyed the infinity pools the most. The pools tended to be fairly crowded and it was difficult to find two chairs together on the pool decks. Both infinity pools on

the hotel terrace have lounge chairs directly in the water, to what end I’m unsure, since the chair is above the water (it’s not like you’re touching the water), but I suppose you could reach your foot down to cool off. We found all of the pools to be just a bit too cool for us, although they were definitely refreshing. The Morningstar pool down at the beach is larger, but had more families in it.

The Breakfast

I am not embarrassed to tell you that we make a lot of our hotel decisions based on breakfast. Is it included? Is it a big buffet? And are there some gluten-free options? Breakfast might be one of our favorite things about staying at a hotel. The Marriott included breakfast in our package and what a breakfast it was. Served on the 3rd floor of the hotel in a room with nearly floor to ceiling windows looking out over the Charlotte Amalie harbor, this was a buffet we most definitely approved of. And the best part was one hot dish changed each day, so there was no breakfast fatigue. There was an omelet and waffle station, cereal, fruit, meats and cheeses, pastries and breads, yogurt and cottage cheese and at least 5 hot dishes which always included scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, potatoes, and bacon and regular sausage.  The changing dish included eggs benedict, a frittata, and my favorite  – corned beef hash, which was served to us the morning after St. Patrick’s Day showing me that the hotel not only makes its own breakfast, but someone in the kitchen plans wisely, making the most of all of their resources. Our server offered milk, coffee, tea, and juices. If you ordered coffee (we did not) it came in an

insulated carafe AND in addition to your nicely sized china mugs, you are given takeout cups to take your coffee with you. Loved this. The staff at the restaurant was friendly but not pushy. We enjoyed our breakfasts there very much. I found a lot to eat that was gluten-free.

The Location

The hotel is situated on a little peninsula so it is possible to look in two directions and see ocean from certain terraces, which is really lovely. Your room will either look out over the harbor (as did ours – although it was called a full oceanview room) or it will look out over the beach to the open ocean (called an island view), however these rooms are above the pool area. We had a rental car, so we drove ourselves to Charlotte Amalie (about a 5 minute drive) and also to Red Hook and up to Magens Bay. Nothing was more than a half hour drive for us, so we felt the location was ideal. If you do not rent a car, you can take a taxi to town (but you will have to wait while one is called for you), or you can take the hotel ferry. Ferry is a bit of a misnomer. There is a small boat that leaves from a dock (down many stairs) that will take you to the heart of Charlotte Amalie.

This is not free and there is a $7 per person fee each way and you must buy tickets in the hotel lobby. It goes every half hour. There is a handful of shops in the hotel, including a gift/snack shop that offers packaged sandwiches and salads as well as desserts. It was vastly overpriced (we paid $9 for a pint of Haagen Daz).

We dined at Havana Blue at the Morningstar Resort and it may have been our best meal. There is also a beachside restaurant called Coco Joe’s, a restaurant near the pool and the dining room where we had breakfast each day.

Overall we enjoyed our stay and found the hotel comfortable and relaxing. The biggest drawbacks are the stairs to the beach (if the elevator would work this would not be a concern) and the limited parking. Once we got the last spot in the ramp and another time we followed some people to their car when there were no spaces.

 

A trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands seemed like just the thing to thaw my daughter and me from the polar vortex, so a girl’s getaway was in order. In researching hotels, I soon realized there weren’t a lot of options on this tiny island. The Ritz is the most expensive and the next step … Read more →

My daughter and I just returned from a relaxing girls’ getaway in St. Martin for 5 days. It’s a lovely place and I’ll be posting more about the island, what to do and where to eat in later posts (not to mention the shopping!). First things first though is the hotel. And I have a lot to say about it, so I thought I’d do a whole post.

We stayed at the Radisson Blu, in Anse Marcel, on the French (north) side of the island (the southern part of the island is St. Maarten and is Dutch). It is located north of Marigot, the main French town, and very near Grand Case, which is where the best restaurants are. It is also close to Orient Beach, the best known beach on the island.  We wavered a bit about where to stay since this hotel does not offer oceanview rooms. The property backs up to the ocean and the rooms have either garden views or marina views. I generally prefer to have an oceanview when I’m staying in a place that is all about the ocean, but we decided we probably wouldn’t be spending much time in the room anyhow. We reserved a superior room with marina view.

Getting There

The hotel web site provides driving directions from the airport so we brought those along in

case our GPS did not work. When we arrived, it wasn’t working (of course!). I also asked the car rental place for directions. Both sets of directions combined were a bit vague. St. Martin has only a handful of stop signs and traffic lights. There are roundabouts and very few road signs. It is difficult to distinguish a main road from a side road since most roads have no center markings and none are in very good condition  All of this made getting to the hotel extremely challenging! It’s hard to know when to turn when there are no signs. We missed a turn and got a little lost, but finally figured it out.

The next challenge in getting to the hotel is that you must literally go up and over a mountain to get there. The road to the hotel is narrow, very steep and filled with blind hairpin turns. When we arrived it was dark which made it even more terrifying. The hotel doesn’t post signs along this road. There are turnoffs where it would have been helpful to have a little sign guiding me!

At one point, there is a breath-taking view of the cove the hotel is in, but there is absolutely no way to pull over since it is on a hairpin turn. We discovered a spot to leave the car just below this and were able to hike up the hill to get the photo (St. Martin is filled with photo opps like this. You will be driving up a giant hill and suddenly at the crest, you will gasp at the sight below you, but there is nowhere to pull over to get a picture and you are always being tailgated by someone who is annoyed by your driving.

Check-In

We finally managed to find the hotel, which is hidden behind a manned entry. The exterior of the hotel is very pretty  – white with big colored curtains. My photo did not turn out well, but

I’m sharing to give you a sense of it. I pulled the rental car up to the front door and we went in to check in. There was no bellman in sight. The front desk was very busy and the woman who checked us in was unfriendly, soft-spoken, and difficult to hear. Part of our package included membership in the My Time program, which entitled us to perks like a fruit basket in the room and a food and beverage credit during our stay (both of which we did get). We were also supposed to be greeted with a cold towel and a tropical drink. This did not happen. We were supposed to be given a special My Time card to show during our stay. I learned later that the little paper business card with our room number handwritten on it was this card (would have been nice if someone explained this, but I’m not sure what good this card would have done us). The program was also supposed to include a call on the third day of stay to ask how things were. No one ever called.

The My Time program also allowed late check out, but when I asked, I was told I would have to ask on the morning of departure, which defeats the purpose since we couldn’t plan to be able to stay.

On the plus side, we were told we had been upgraded to a deluxe room.

While we were checking in, a bellman came and asked me for my keys since my car was in the way. He moved the car and removed some of our luggage and brought it in.  He did not bring all of our belongings and he didn’t tell me where my car was (I assumed since they moved it, they would retrieve it).  The next morning, my daughter and I had to wander the three parking lots to find our car – there was no accountability for where it had been parked.

About 10 days before we left, I contacted the hotel to let them know I am gluten intolerant and to ask if their chefs would be able to accommodate me. I got an email back saying one of the chefs would be emailing me. No one did. Two days before we left I responded and let them know no one had contacted me. No response.  At check in I asked

again and was told a chef would call me in my room. This didn’t happen. At breakfast one morning I tried to get some assistance and the response was quite poor.

The Room

After the nonsense at check-in, we were happy to go to our room which had a king size Sleep Number bed (you can adjust the firmness on each side), a table and chairs, armchair and stool, balcony, and large bathroom. The room was a soft yellow and very comfortable. One feature I liked was that in addition to a chest of drawers, there were huge baskets under the nightstands for storage, as well as two closets and small storage baskets near the minibar.

The bathroom was huge with two sinks, but it wasn’t very usable since the tub/shower had a glass door and the toilet area didn’t have a door, so essentially only one person could use the room at a time.

I don’t think I would call our view a marina view. I could barely make out some boats through the trees. Despite this, I was very pleased with our room which appeared recently renovated and was spotless. I do not believe the room was vacuumed during our stay however, since the same crumb remained on the floor by my side of the bed the entire stay.

The Resort

I have nothing but glowing things to say about the grounds of this resort. The lobby area was open to the outside and there were many comfortable couches and chairs in the area. There is also a lobby bar. The grounds have beautiful flowering shrubs. There is a bocce ball court and a ping pong table. There is a spa, but we did not visit it during our stay.

The place where we spent all of our time was the beach and pool. The resort backs up to a big

crescent-shaped beach that is shared with several other resorts, however it is not crowded or busy at all. The waves come all the way up to the retaining walls, so there is not a lot of space to actually sit on the beach (and there seem to be no tides, since the water was always up to the edge). On our first morning, there were lounge chairs on the sand, so we sat there. The waves would wash up under our chairs. It was nice, but I was constantly worrying about our bag, which I kept lifting in the air to keep dry. After that morning, no lounge chairs were allowed on the beach, but they were right next to the beach, set up underneath palm trees with a spectacular view. There is a beachside bar with one waiter who makes the rounds. We got one round of frozen drinks and didn’t think they were very good.

The sand is soft and flat with no shells or rocks to speak of. The beach is in a little cove and there are boats anchored there. You can see Anguilla across the way. It is a magical little cove. Be aware that the beach is tops optional! The beach is long enough for a nice walk, which we enjoyed several times. The water had a bit of an undertow, but once you got past where the waves broke it was pleasant to just float in the turquoise water.

I am still not recovered from the glory that was the pool. This was the biggest, most comfortable pool I’ve ever been in. There are 4 sections. There’s a rectangular area where a water fitness class was happening one day. The next section has a sand area next to and no steps – you just gradually walk in like you would at a beach. This was not very deep and was perfect for children.

There was an intermediate area that was a bit deeper, then it opened up to the infinity pool section that was about 5 feet deep. The infinity edge meant that not only could you look out over the ocean as you swam, but there were no waves or splashing, since the water cycles

over the edge of the pool.  It was so big that 4-5 times around this section of the pool

constituted my half hour daily swim.

There were plenty of chairs, umbrellas and palm trees around the pool. There were a few cabanas for rent but really were unnecessary since you could find so much shade. There are two resident iguanas my daughter saw casually swimming across the pool!

The pool bathrooms were pretty dirty and rarely had toilet paper, so that was the only complaint I can offer.

I would go back just for the pool and beach area alone.

The resort seemed to be very popular with families from France. There were also many couples (some young, but many in midlife) who were American. It never felt crowded or busy and the atmosphere was relaxed and delightful.

If you’re looking for a wonderful getaway, you will find it in this resort!

My daughter and I just returned from a relaxing girls’ getaway in St. Martin for 5 days. It’s a lovely place and I’ll be posting more about the island, what to do and where to eat in later posts (not to mention the shopping!). First things first though is the hotel. And I have a … Read more →